Relationship dossier
Norway
United States
Relationship assessment
Close NATO allies with sustained defense cooperation and expanded U.S. access arrangements in Norway.
Norway toward United States
+70Norway cooperates with the United States through NATO and has contributed forces to allied operations, including the mission in Afghanistan. Norway also hosts rotational U.S. Marine deployments and participates in bilateral defense arrangements.
United States toward Norway
+70The United States cooperates with Norway through NATO and bilateral defense arrangements. A 2021 supplementary defense cooperation agreement provides for U.S. access to specified facilities in Norway, supporting allied defense activity and training.
Overall relationship
+70The relationship is a durable security partnership shaped by NATO membership, bilateral defense arrangements, Norwegian contributions to allied operations, and U.S. military access and activity in Norway. These sustained institutional and operational ties outweigh occasional differences on foreign-policy issues.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Norway and the United States maintain a close security partnership anchored in NATO and reinforced by bilateral defense cooperation. Norway hosts U.S. Marine Corps rotational deployments and supports allied operations, including in Afghanistan. A 2021 defense cooperation agreement expanded arrangements for U.S. access to Norwegian facilities. These measures reflect sustained practical cooperation, though they do not eliminate differences over particular policies.
Key developments
Norway and the United States signed a supplementary defense cooperation agreement providing for U.S. access to specified facilities in Norway.
Rotational deployments of U.S. Marines in Norway began as part of bilateral and allied defense cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The long-term scope and implementation of U.S. access arrangements under the defense cooperation agreement may evolve.
- The extent of policy differences on specific security and foreign-policy issues varies over time.